Enchanting Narratives: A Historical Ethnography of Contemplative Science

In modernity, narratives seem to have lost their magical power to effect changes in the world. Language is generally considered as a system of arbitrary symbols coordinated with aspects of reality. Yet, research in the social studies of science and technology indicates that modern aspirations to exorcise magic co-exist with oppositional pulls towards re-enchantment: feelings of awe and wonder, practices akin to sorcery, searches for moral values, transcendental meaning, and magic words. This study on contemplative science, the neuroscientific, psychological, and clinical study of contemplative practices like mindfulness meditation, sheds light on the enchanting power of historical narratives. Historical narratives are revealed to play an important, but as yet unacknowledged role, in the re-enchantment of brain research. Drawing on historical ethnography, this study analyzes how the contemplative science community narrates history at conferences, commemorative events, and in published textual accounts to valorize this field of research as a project of re-enchantment without destabilizing its scientific legitimacy. First, the folk history of contemplative science is shown to endow the field with enchanting qualities by combining Weberian ideal types of charismatic and rational authority. Second, alternative histories of meditation research are reconstructed and their absence from the official narrative is explained in relation to the charismatic-rational Janus face of contemplative science. Third, contemplative scientists are found to take recourse to history in mobilizing regimes of valuation that help justify their work in light of socio-ethical critiques. The analysis contributes to scholarly discussions on the thesis that language can be considered as technology, having practical effects in the world. In support of this thesis, the argument presented indicates that historical narratives can serve to defend science against critics, attract novice researchers, and build a research community around the allure of modern enchantment.